Crossing Over
by utkari02
Summary: A brief glimpse into one reason Lily turned to James. No Spoilers.


**Crossing Over****  
**_**By: Kari **__**  
**_**Words: 989**

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Potter?" screamed Lily Evans as she tore herself away from him and out of his reach.

"Don't be thick, Evans, you know exactly what I was doing, and it was going rather brilliant until you had to go and stop it." said James trying to advance on her again.

"Oh, no you don't." said Lily holding her arms out, "You just stay on your side of the corridor."

"Fine, but why'd you have to go and stop a good thing like that for?" asked James.

"What do you mean, 'why did I have to stop it'? Now who's being thick? What, in the name of Merlin, gave you the idea that I wanted you to kiss me?" asked Lily incredulously.

"I..I don't know." said resigned James. "You were crying, and you looked so vulnerable, and then you just got the fiercest look in your eyes, like you were never going to take any of that crap again from anyone, and you'd never looked more beautiful to me. I..I had to kiss you. I think if I hadn't, I might have gone mad."

"Oh." said Lily. "Well, I guess that was not at all as devious as I made it out to be then."

"Oh, it was devious alright." said James flashing his trademark smirk that always gave her this funny feeling in her chest, like her heart skipped a beat. "I just didn't tell you the devious parts."

"What devious parts?" asked Lily, surprising even herself by giving in to James' taunts.

"Come here, and I'll show, I mean, tell you." James said leaning back against the wall, managing to somehow pull off a look that at first glance was total arrogance, but when looked at longer also displayed an unease and fear that he was desperately trying to hide.

***

When she thought back on what happened after she crossed the hallway that night, she'd still be trying to figure out if it was that completely surprising innocence that she'd never seen from James before or, if it was the fact that she didn't want to deny him any longer. She was tired of pushing him away, and she just wanted to see once and for all what it felt like to be loved by James Potter. Yes, she knew that he loved her. And deep down she probably loved him too, and if she'd let herself, she'd be able to think of countless reasons why.

Like that day she saw him do the unthinkable, and take points away from his own house.

**

"Aw, come on James, you know we were just taking the mickey…" said the third year Gryffindor.

"Yeah, they were asking for it." said the fourth year Ravenclaw.

"It's not nice to duel with students who aren't as good of a dueller as you are." James told the boys.

"It's not our fault they're just dumb Slytherins." said the Gryffindor.

"Yeah, I mean even some of the Hufflepuffs are smarter than those two are." added the Ravenclaw, "I mean, his wand was in his pocket, and he couldn't find it? How pathetic is that?"

"That's enough boys, I'm going to have to take away points." said James resignedly.

"What? You've got to be joking, James, you never take away points from us." the Gryffindor exclaimed.

"I know boys, but you've gone too far this time. If I hadn't have come upon you in the corridor, those boys could have been seriously hurt." James reasoned.

"Hurt? They would have been fine. We weren't going to let them get hurt. Besides, we know you and Sirius used to do the same when you were our age, probably even worse. We heard Barty and Regulus taking in the Library once, they really don't like you and your friends…" he trailed off when he saw the look on James' face.

"Just because I used to do it, doesn't make it right. Twenty points from Ravenclaw and Twenty points from Gryffindor. Don't let me catch you boys again, because next time, I'll deal with you myself. Now get back to your dormitory."

The boys started walking down the corridor making rude comments under their breath.

"Oh, and Marks?" James called down the hallway.

The boys stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping Marks, you never know when you'll hear something that you'd be better off not knowing.

**

Lily remembered confronting James later that evening asking him why he had taken the points away.

"You know you gave up our lead going into the Christmas holidays, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah." sighed James.

"Why'd you do it? No one was around, you could have just told them off, and not taken the points away. No one would have known."

"I would have known. I should have reported them to Dumbledore. They were using the confundus charm on Slytherin first years. When used like that, it's almost as bad as the imperious. Those boys could have really gotten hurt."

"I'm..I'm proud of you James." said Lily.

"You've never called me James before."

"I know." said Lily, and she walked up to bed.

**

"Sometimes I ask myself if I regret crossing the hallway that day." said Lily, sitting in her rocking chair.

"Is he talking back yet?" asked James, startling Lily.

"I didn't hear you come in." said Lily, getting up.

"I was quiet, I wasn't sure if he was sleeping." said James looking down into Lily's arms. "So, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Regret crossing the hallway that day?" asked James.

"The only regret I have, is that I didn't cross it sooner." said Lily, smiling up at her husband. "You've made me happier than I ever thought I could be."

"Put Harry to bed, I have a surprise for you in the bedroom." said James, with an undeniable hunger in his eyes.

"I'll race ya." said Lily.

_**The End**_


End file.
